


Close To You

by rahelawriter



Series: Working Out the Kinks [5]
Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Affection, Comfort Reading, Cuddling & Snuggling, Fantasizing, Fluff, Inspired by Roleplay/Roleplay Adaptation, Morning After, Other, POV Second Person, discussion of marriage, playful cheek-poking, talking about feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-15
Updated: 2016-10-15
Packaged: 2018-08-22 11:58:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,995
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8284999
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rahelawriter/pseuds/rahelawriter
Summary: Your first morning in Ishgard, you awaken to a warm meal and a warmer welcome.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Original prompt here: https://ff14kink.dreamwidth.org/460.html?thread=6604#cmt6604
> 
> "WoL/Haurchefant  
> (Anonymous)  
> 2016-03-15 01:33 am (UTC)(link)  
> Gender doesn't matter. Fluffy stuff between Warrior of Light and Haurchefant, post and/or during sex. I just want to see them be happy together before.. u kno.. ;;"

“Good morning, my dearest. Are you ready to wake up now…?”

You awake to a familiar, lilting voice cooing to you, and a gentle hand brushing your hair out of your face. Immediately remembering where you are, what happened last night, and who was with you, you smile to yourself. You feel him sitting on the side of the bed next to you, trying to nudge you awake. Haurchefant can try all he wants, but it’s your first morning in Ishgard and this is the comfiest bed you’ve ever had the pleasure of sleeping in in your entire life, the silken sheets and heavy velvet duvet feel sublimely smooth and cool against your bare skin, and he of all people should know how your body might still be tired after last night’s _exertions_ …

“I understand your desire to stay in bed,” he chuckles, “but your breakfast is getting cold.”

Breakfast in bed? Immediately your eyes snap open and you push yourself into a sitting position and then immediately _shivering_ when the cold morning air hits your skin. Haurchefant smiles, “Ha, I thought that might get your attention,” and sets the tray table full of food that he’d carried in down in front of you. “You slept through breakfast, but I managed to convince the chefs to prepare something for you. I hope it’s to your liking?”

By the gods, it is. Your stomach growls for satisfaction just looking at it. An Ishgardian muffin, an almond cream croissant, a dodo-egg omelette, and a cup of tea, all piping warm and ready for you. Without a second thought, you tear your breakfast like a wild beast devouring prey. You were by no means an upper-class citizen of any city-state, nor did you behave like one, but if having consistent access to this much food of this delicious decadent quality was what it meant to be part of high society, you could certainly get used to it. Audible just over your loud chewing is another laugh from Haurchefant. “I shall take that as a yes, then.”

He sits himself down on the foot of the bed, content to watch you less-than-gracefully gorge yourself. You must look a mess, in a state of undress, a head of wild bed hair, and smelling of sweat, all consequences from the night before. But even though he’s looking far more clean and stately than usual, wearing a long-sleeved doublet and breeches instead of his usual armor, he doesn’t mind how you look in the slightest, smiling warmly at you, with the hint of a blush on his face.

It occurs to you, as you’re swallowing a creamy, flaky mouthful of croissant, that you don’t know the time; late enough for you to miss breakfast but still early enough that Alphinaud and Tataru haven’t come to check on you. Glancing at the walls, you see a wall chronometer that tells the current time as a single bell before noon. Huh. If you slept in this late, then what was your knight friend still doing here? You remember him saying last night that he wasn’t bound to return to Dragonhead until morning. And you were actually quite relieved at that; these past few weeks, his support, his kindness, his constant presence, it all meant more than you could say, and you didn’t want him to leave. And that led to the conclusion that you never wanted to be apart again. And last night, you told him all of this. You told him that you loved him. You told him more than you probably should have. You poured your heart out to him, and frankly you feel a bit embarrassed to remember some of the more sentimental things that left your mouth. But Haurchefant, he was breathtaken. And he reciprocated. _Good gods, did he reciprocate you_. And now, here you both were. But you understood he’d have to return to his duties in the morning and leave you behind, and you’re slightly curious as to why he’s still here; so once you wash down the last of your muffin with a sip of tea, you ask him.

“Y-yes, well,” He seems almost sheepish at the question, rubbing the back of his neck, standing back up. “That was indeed the plan. But this infernal weather had plans of its own, I’m afraid.” To show you what he meant, the knight pulls back the curtain, and you have to squint your eyes against the blindingly bright opaque whiteness glaring through the window. Putting the curtain back into place and returning to his previous seat, he continues, “So my return to the Central Highlands, or indeed any ventures outdoors, will have to be delayed. I trust my subordinates to keep things running smoothly in the camp without me, but I still can’t help but feel concerned for them…”

He falls silent, electing to let you eat in peace. You hesitate a moment, but once you finish the last bite of the omelette, you set the breakfast tray down on the floor, and pat the empty space on the bed next to you. Haurchefant responds like a puppy coming when called, taking the invitation and cuddling up next to you; and you nestle into the crook of his arm, barely stifling a ticklish giggle as he decides to start peppering you with kisses and light touches anywhere he can reach. With a warm and wide grin, he tucks your body against him (you’re still under the duvet, though, so the contact isn’t as direct as you would like.) and nuzzles your foreheads together. And you close what little is left of the distance by clasping your hands behind his neck and laying a quick kiss upon his lips.

“Thank you for the breakfast,” you sigh, resting your head on his shoulder. “And for last night. I really needed both.”

“Ah… Do forgive me if my actions were too forward. As I said last night, I’ve harbored feelings for you for quite some time; and to know that you felt the same way, I was so overjoyed, I-I had… Forgotten myself.”

You shake your head. “There’s nothing to forgive,” you tell him. “And I’d would welcome any sort of nasty scandalous rumor about our relationship, any rumor about me that doesn’t involve regicide would be a welcome respite.” Haurchefant likely had some sort of response to this, but you silence him (and hopefully his worries) with a reaffirming kiss on the lips. This appears to have the intended effect, and the knight smiles into the kiss, gently caressing your bare back.

“I love you. How I wish I could stay with you wherever you go,” he breathes into your ear once the kiss is broken. “And, erm, may I say something rather personal?”

You nod, keeping your eyes upon his face, paying the utmost attention. Haurchefant’s expression changed to an uncharacteristic melancholy, and he leans back against the headboard, eyes gazing off into some invisible memory.

“Proud as I am to serve my homeland, there has ever been a part of me that wished to roam, to adventure. During my boyhood, I would frequently go out and spend all day traversing and exploring all Coerthas, and… And on some days, I didn’t want to go back. But after my knighting, and especially after the Calamity and the coming of the endless winter, things had to change. No longer could I be the child who would run away whenever the urge struck him, who would always, _always_ rather be _‘anywhere but here’_ …”

He’s never told you any of this. You’re both shocked and touched that he’s willing to share this with you. Perhaps it was because of all that you shared with him last night, but all the same, you keep listening.

“…Or so I told myself,” He continued, with a shrug. “I could never truly bury that part of me who yearned to see beyond the peaks of Abalathia or beyond the treetops of the Shroud. Part of that was why I felt so drawn to adventurers, and to you. I’d never be so irresponsible as to abandon my post, but oftentimes during a dull moment I turn my thoughts to fantasizing about what it would be like to journey with you. To journey to the four corners of the realm; the verdant valleys in the west, the glimmering shores of Costa del Sol, the shifting sands of Ul--” He catches himself, and both of you grimace. “On second thought, no, _not_ Ul’dah…”

You shake your head in agreement. “Yeah. But what you were saying before, about wanting to journey with me?”

“I know it’s unlikely, if not outright impossible--”

“No, no, I’d love it!” You clasp his hands in yours, grinning broadly at him. “I’d love to go on an adventure with you! Maybe we could even elope!”

At your last word, Haurchefant jerks in surprise, and his face goes bright red. “Wh-what?! _Elope?!_ ”

You’d made the suggestion completely on impulse, and now that you think about it, it does sound rash in the extreme, especially when the two of you had only confessed your feelings to each other last night; you feel your cheeks heating up as well. “Er, ah, I-I mean… Eventually. After we’ve really gotten to know each other some more.” _What are you saying?_ “I… I love you. Spending time with you, feeling safe with you… So I wish we could always be together, and that our duties didn’t have to get in the way.”

What an idyllic life you imagined. To run away with the man you love and have an adventurer-style bonding ceremony at the Sanctum of the Twelve. And from there? There would be no boundaries to where you could go: roaming the entire world together, both of you free from any responsibility or obligations. No primals, no dragons, no corruption, no loss, no sorrow. Just you showing him the world beyond the cold climes of Coerthas just like he’d always dreamed. The only thing you would need was each other. You knew such a fantasy was childish and unrealistic, but you still entertained it nonetheless. Up until last night, the idea that someone would love you the way he did was just as unattainable a notion.

So lost in your thoughts, you barely notice Haurchefant moving until he puts his left hand on your right shoulder; but when you reflexively turn your head to face him, your cheek instead runs into his extended index finger.

You can almost hear the ‘ _doink._ ’

The knight breaks into a fit of giggles while squishing your cheeks and cooing over how ‘cute’ you are. Though burning with embarrassment over falling for such a silly trick, with the way he’s nuzzling your noses together and kissing everywhere on your face, you can’t bring yourself to be annoyed by _this ridiculous man…_

“Ahhh, I’m sorry, love,” he said in between breaths of laughter. “I just couldn’t resist.” Finally Haurchefant let you go, leaving one last little peck on your brow. “But in all seriousness, you don’t have to worry about us having to spend less time together. I shall certainly miss you and your comrades once I return to Camp Dragonhead, but that’s no cause for sorrow! It will only make the happy moments that we do have all the more precious. I know I’ll treasure these moments with you for as long as I live.”

Listening to your lover’s worldly wisdom, you wonder how much of this he knew from personal experience. But all the same, he was right. Though you would have to spend some time apart, that would only make your next reunion all the more joyful. You smile, and lay an appreciative kiss upon Haurchefant’s velvety lips, and feel their corners curl up. But before anything else happens, you want to make one thing clear, whispering into his ear:

“Well, we’ve got until the storm subsides. Let’s not waste this morning.”

He smiles.


End file.
